UAE Expat Community Will Soon Have Access to Government Hospital Facilities

The new law providing health insurance cover for all Dubai residents is now enforced and initially Rashid hospital has begun accepting health insurance cards from expatriates.

Under the new scheme titled ‘ISAHD (Insurance System for Advancing Healthcare in Dubai)’ that means “Happiness” in Arabic, the efficient customer services, superior quality, and quick health care access will bring happiness to the residents of Dubai, as more than half of its population i.e. 1.5 million residents, have no health cover available.

As per the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), by mid-2016 all residents in Dubai will have the provision of health coverage facility, which mainly includes construction workers, domestic staff and spouses of low-income expatriates. The first phase of the scheme has been initiated at the government hospital’s emergency section. The expatriates are overwhelmed with joy, as the recent initiative would enable them to choose where they wish to be treated, either at a government hospital or a private clinic.

Whereas, the basic coverage of Dh600 per person, provides access to the general physician, any referral, surgery, maternity and emergency cover to expatriates, over the next six months, the health insurance cards would further facilitate residents with extra coverage, besides the basic package and would be acceptable at all the 20 Primary Health Care (PHC) centres throughout the emirate.

According to Dr Haidar Al Yousuf, Director of Health Funding at the DHA:

‘The health cards of the Emiratis will soon be replaced with insurance cards. Residents with health cover usually pay Dh100, while the doctor’s consultation fee, treatment and medicines are taken care of by the insurance card.’